| 30 Teams, 30 Days: New York Draft Preview (23rd) Authored by Jason M. Williams - June 22, 2007 - 1:15 pm
2006-2007 Finish: 33-49
Draft Picks: 23rd
What they do well
The New York Knicks followed a historically awful 2005-06 with a respectable turnaround last season. By improving their win total by ten games and gaining a sense of consistency with their roster, the Knicks look to be one of the Eastern Conference teams on the rise. With 19 games to go, the Knicks were in a dead heat with the New Jersey Nets for the seventh and eighth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race, but injuries to Quentin Richardson, Jamal Crawford, David Lee, Stephon Marbury, and Steve Francis were the primary culprit for the Knicks losing 15 of their final 19 games.
Despite the poor finish, the Knicks saw some major improvement from many of their young players. David Lee was one of eleven NBA players who averaged a double-double in points and rebounds last season, despite making only 12 starts. He finished with 29 double-doubles, which was good for 21st in the league, even while being limited to only 58 games due to injury.
The much-maligned first round selection of last year’s draft, Renaldo Balkman, made a name for himself as the Tasmanian Devil. His ferocity and everlasting energy and passion made him a fan favorite as he was vicious in transition, littered the paint with posterizing dunks, and was tenacious on defense by leading the team in blocked shots and was near the top in steals.
His fellow 2006 draft class rookie, Mardy Collins, also stepped up huge when the remainder of the New York backcourt went down. Despite being famously known as the one who hacked J.R. Smith to start the Nuggets brawl or took the open-handed slap from Carmelo, he logged more minutes than any other NBA player in the month of April and finished the month averaging an impressive 14.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 2 steals per game.
Eddy Curry produced a breakout season where he was a controversial All-Star snub in favor of the fan-elected Shaquille O’Neal, despite the fact that Shaq had only appeared ineffectively in five games leading up to the honorary weekend. He posted career highs of 19.5 points, 7 rebounds, 57.6% FG%, and 35.2 minutes per game. He won two games with a last minute put-back and an alley-oop dunk, and even sent a game into overtime with an open three-pointer at the buzzer at Milwaukee. He drew countless double- and triple-teams and became one of the league’s most dangerous weapons on the low block.
Despite all of these successful building blocks for the future, perhaps it was the star of yesteryear that emerged most in the spotlight of The World’s Most Famous Arena. Despite being booed for the beginning of the season, Stephon Marbury elevated his all-around game and had perhaps his greatest season as a pro. While his 16.4 points and 5.4 assists do not look very impressive at first glance, he finally bought into head coach Isiah Thomas’ plan to become the team leader from the point guard position. He featured the big fella Eddy Curry as the focal point of the offense – a role he refused to relinquish throughout his career. He meshed well with starting two-guard Jamal Crawford, combining for 34 points and 10 assists per game as a two-headed producing machine. He played with more heart and grit than he had since growing up playing street ball in Coney Island, and played phenomenal defense on some of the games toughest scorers.
While the Knicks have shown remarkable growth within the past year, they are still a few pieces away from making a serious run at the Atlantic Division and beyond.
Where do they need improvement?
There are two areas where the Knicks need immediate improvement, and they are shot blocking and reliable three-point shooting. The Knicks finished in 29th place in the league at blocked shots, averaging a paltry 3.2 blocks per game as a team. The need for a bona fide three-point sniper was even more glaring as they lost Jamal Crawford and Quentin Richardson for most of the second half of the season, while Eddy Curry was absorbing the brunt of the hacks from double- and triple-teams because defenders didn’t have to worry about anyone converting the outside shot.
Who should they target?
- Sean Williams, PF/C – Boston College:
Sean Williams was a drug problem away from being a can’t-miss lottery selection in this draft. He was dominating the paint at Boston College, averaging a ridiculous 5 blocks per game, including a triple double against Duquesne with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 blocks. Yes, 13 blocks. He also added four more games with 7 or more blocks, including his 19 point, 15 rebound, 7 block performance at Kansas and his 10 point, 11 rebound, 7 block performance against Maryland. He is a freakish athlete with an enormous 7-5 wingspan and a knack for being a great weak side help-defender. With the stagnant Eddy Curry occupying one side of the paint, Sean Williams is the most intimidating weapon to put along side of him for the future.
- Demetris Nichols, SF – Syracuse:
Despite being a reach at the 23rd overall selection, Nichols has the two things that the Knicks need most with this pick if they decide to go with a shooter rather than a shot-blocker. Nichols demonstrated at the Orlando pre-draft camp that he can shoot as well as anyone from the NBA three-point line with a ridiculous .692 shooting percentage (9-13 from downtown). With an impressive outside stroke, he is also more than capable to move without the ball and shoot lights out from midrange. His length and quickness give him the ability to play very effective defense on both the two-guard and wing positions. His shooting touch should not only capture the eye of super-scout Isiah Thomas, but also of Eddy Curry as the double-team is emerging.
- Wilson Chandler, SF – DePaul:
While there is a rumor floating around that Isiah has made a draft promise to Wilson Chandler, it doesn’t seem entirely like Thomas’ style. Normally, Isiah is pulling off draft picks that no one would possibly expect to see that early in the draft (see Nate Robinson, David Lee, Renaldo Balkman). However, because Chandler hails from a poor basketball program at DePaul, he received minimal attention from the college and professional basketball media. He plays a hybrid forward position, much like a Shawn Marion type, and has the athleticism to soar in for thunderous dunks, all while being able to glide around the court and effectively sink the midrange jumper. However, this 6-8 sophomore is still very raw and needs a talent-manipulating coach like Isiah Thomas to sculpt him into a star of tomorrow.
- Marco Belinelli, SG – Italy
As the Knicks look for their most deadly sharpshooter from 23 feet 9 inches since Allan Houston, Marco Belinelli has the potential to be the reliable spot shooter that Eddy Curry can feed when he draws a double-team. With the upside of a Mike Miller-type sniper, he can spell the Knicks troubles from beyond the arc, all while giving Belinelli a comfortable home-away-from-home in the Italian-laced culture of New York and New Jersey.
Picks since 2000
Prior to the arrival of draft specialist Isiah Thomas, the Knicks were arguably the single worst drafting team of the past decade. With atrocious draft picks every year, you have to look back to 1994 when the Knicks selected Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward with their first round pick to find a guy who lasted as a starter in the NBA. Lest we forget, the former Knick drafting brain trust decided that in 1999, with St. John’s hometown hero Ron Artest still sitting on the board when their pick came around, they opted to select Frederic Weis out of France…yes, the same 7-2 Frederic Weis that Vince Carter jumped completely over en route to a nasty violent dunk at the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics (go ahead, YouTube it if you don’t believe it).
Since Isiah has taken the reins of the franchise, he has made six selections, including Nate Robinson, and all six have found a niche in the league and look to be players that will definitely be contributing well into the 2010s. Isiah tabbed Robinson with the 21st pick in 2004 as part of the deal that brought him and Quentin Richardson from Phoenix for Kurt Thomas and eventual 54th selection Dijon Thompson.
2006
Renaldo Balkman, 20th
Mardy Collins, 29th
2005
Channing Frye, 8th
David Lee, 30th
Dijon Thompson, 54th (traded to Phoenix)
2004
Trevor Ariza, 44th
2003
Mike Sweetney, 9th
Maciej Lampe, 30th
Slavko Vranes, 39th
2002
Nene Hilario, 7th (traded to Denver)
Milos Vujanic, 36th
2001
Michael Wright, 39th
Eric Chenowith, 43rd
2000
Lavor Postell, 39th
Pete Mickael, 58th
Who do you want the Knicks to draft at number 23? Feel free to contact Jason M. Williams with your thoughts. He can be reached at Jason.Williams@RealGM.com for comments or questions. |
